Methodists To Take In Homeless Downtown Church 1st To Open Nightly

First United Methodist Church, one of Orlando's largest churches, Thursday announced plans to open an overnight shelter for the homeless in its fellowship hall within a month.

Church administrator Charles Stopford, at a meeting of the state's District 7 Homeless Coalition, called the program ''a year-round cold night program'' that would offer shelter for up to 80 people.

First Methodist, 142 E. Jackson St., is one of five downtown churches that opens its social hall to the homeless on nights the wind chill dips below 38 degrees. It is, however, the first church in Orange County to commit itself to a free daily shelter program.

''Our dream would be to get 30 other churches to give us volunteers and food,'' Stopford said. ''That would relieve the host church and get others involved.''

Until that happens, the 4,000-member First Methodist congregation will provide the volunteers and the money -- estimated at $24,000 annually -- to maintain the shelter, Stopford said.

The plan, approved by the church's administrative board April 28, calls for the Wesley Building to open its doors to anyone needing lodging from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., starting June 1.

Although the church as has no sleeping pallets, guests will be given sandwiches upon entry and a light breakfast the next morning, courtesy of the Community Food Bank, Stopford said.

Eight volunteers, in two shifts, will monitor and register guests each day and provide priority tickets for the next night's lodging.

Stopford said the plan was sparked several months ago by a growing number of homeless sleeping in the church courtyard.

''Our courtyard population was growing to 60 or 80 people a night,'' he said. ''Last year, after the cold night program ended, the courtyard population dropped off. This year it didn't.''

The new program, he said, is ''the first step'' toward several goals. Stopford said he would like to see the nightly shelter population level off at 35, so volunteers could offer counseling.

Ultimately, he said, he wants to see ''a city shelter operated by the Christian Service Center on land donated by the city or county.''

Earl Scarbeary, director of the center, Orlando's largest private social agency, said past city zoning regulations have prevented his agency from opening a shelter in its new social services building at 808 W. Central Ave.

''We haven't raised the zoning question,'' said Stopford, who noted that the shelter is considered an ''adjunct ministry'' of the church.

Judy Stewart, Orlando zoning director, could not be reached for comment, but zoning supervisor Joanne McMurray said downtown churches are not exempt from zoning regulations.

''I don't know how to classify them,'' McMurray said. She said the city's land development code, adopted in August, does not allow emergency shelters in the downtown core district.

Stopford, however, was not put off. ''We're going to explore all means of having a facility that benefits the city,'' he said.

Supportive data may be coming soon. The state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, which last year formed 11 statewide homeless coalitions, including one in Central Florida, is conducting a new homeless survey.

Starting today and continuing on May 15, 21 and 27, demographic information on the homeless will be collected by hundreds of agencies serving them. Pat Bell, District 7 coalition coordinator, said she has sent survey forms to about 50 agencies in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Brevard counties.

The information will go into a legislative report to bolster a new HRS- backed homeless bill that carries a $2 million appropriation for emergency financial assistance to the homeless and grant-in-aids to the agencies that help them.